Punctuation

Punctuation Checklist

Periods Semicolons
• At the end of a declarative sentence • Between two independent clauses
(sentence that makes a statement) (an independent clause is a
➞Today, I took a walk to nowhere. complete thought. It has a subject
• At the end of a command or and a predicate.) ➞ Edward joined
request ➞ Here’s a cloth. Now the basketball team; remarkably, the
gently burp the baby on your 54́ ̋ young man excelled at the sport.
shoulder. • Between elements in a series that
• At the end of an indirect question uses commas ➞ The possible dates
➞ Jane asked if I knew where she for the potluck dinner are Thurs-
had left her keys. day, June 5; Saturday, June 7; or
• Before a decimal number ➞ Monday, June 9.
Statisticians claim that the average
family raises 2.5 children. Colons
• Between dollars and cents ➞ I • Between two complete ideas when
remember when $1.50 could buy the second idea explains the first.
the coolest stuff. ➞ Keri pushed her dinner away: She
• After an initial in a person’s name had eaten on the car ride home.
➞ You are Sir James W. Dewault, • Before a list ➞ Grandma brought
are you not? Chloe’s favorite three sweets:
• After an abbreviation ➞ On Jan.12, chocolate kisses, Tootsie Rolls, and a
I leave for Africa. Snickers bar.
• Between titles and subtitles ➞
Question Marks Finding Your Dream Home: A Buyer’s
• At the end of a question ➞ Why do Guide.
you look so sad? • Between volumes and page
• Inside a quotation mark when the numbers ➞ Marvel Comics 21:24
quote is a question ➞ She asked, • Betweenchaptersandverse➞Job4:12
“Why do you look so sad?” • Between hours and minutes ➞ It’s
2:00 a.m. — time to sleep.
Exclamation Points
• At the end of a word, phrase, or Apostrophes
sentence filled with emotion ➞ • Where letters or numbers have
Hurry up! I cannot be late for the been deleted —a sin a contraction
meeting! ➞ I looked at my father and
• Inside a quotation mark when the whispered, “It’s (It is) okay to cry
quote is an exclamation ➞ The every so often.”
woman yelled, “Hurry up! I cannot • At the end of a name where there is
be late for the meeting!” ownership (remember to also add

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 an s after the apostrophe if the word
Quotation Marks or name does not end in an s
• When directly quoting dialogue, not already) ➞Mary Jane’s horse
when paraphrasing ➞ Hamlet says, sprained his ankle during practice.
“To be, or not to be. That is the • Around non-essential clauses,
question.” parenthetical phrases, and
• For titles of chapters, articles, short appositives (A nonessential or
stories, poems, songs, or periodicals nonrestrictive clause is a word or
➞ My favorite poem is “The Road group of words that are not
Not Taken.” necessary for the sentence’s
Commas completion; a parenthetical phrase
• Between items in dates and interrupts the flow of a sentence;
addresses ➞ Michael arrived at Ellis and an appositive is a word or group
Island, New York, on February 14, of words that rename the noun
1924. preceding them) ➞ Matt’s mother,
• Between words in a list ➞ The Janie (appositive), who has trouble
university hired a woman to direct with directions (non- essential
the Bursar’s, Financial Aid, and clause), had to ask for help.
Registrar’s offices. • After introductory words, phrases,
• Between equally important and clauses➞ Hoping for the best,
adjectives (be careful not to we checked our luggage.
separate adjectives that describe • Before conjunctions (Conjunctions
each other) ➞ The reporter spoke are words that link two independent
with several intense, talented high clauses together) ➞ Drew wanted to
school athletes. experience ballroom dancing before
• After a tag that precedes a direct his wedding, so he signed up for
quote ➞ David whined, “I am lessons at a local hall.
famished.”
• In a quote that precedes a tag and is
not a question or an exclamation ➞
“I am famished,” whined David.

Sentence Structure

A sentence is like a Christmas present: Assembly is always required. Fortunately, the

instructions are fairly basic. Every sentence must have at least a subject and a predicate.
The subject is the focus of the sentence; it is the who or the what the sentence is about. The
predicate describes the subject; it explains what the subject is or what the subject is doing.
The completed idea is called a clause, and it is the building block of all sentences.

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First, you have to know these terms:

• Independent clause: a clause that expresses a complete thought. ➞ Monica walked

on the grass.
• Dependent (subordinate) clause: a clause that does not express a complete thought.
➞ Though it was wet
• A complete thought ➞ Though it was wet, Monica walked on the grass.
• Essential clause: a dependent clause that is necessary to the basic meaning of the
completed sentence. ➞ who are pregnant
Women who are pregnant can crave salty or sweet foods.
• Non-essential clause: a dependent clause that is not necessary to the basic meaning
of the completed sentence. ➞ who growls whenever the phone rings
Elmo, who growls whenever the phone rings, tried to attack the vacuum cleaner.
• Phrase: a group of words that lack either a subject or a predicate. ➞ I nearly spring
In early spring, I notice a change in people’s attitudes.
• Appositive: a phrase that makes a preceding noun or pronoun clearer or more
definite by explaining or identifying it. ➞ rice pudding and fruit salad
Candice’s grandfather brought her favorite desserts, rice pudding and fruit salad.
• Fragment: a phrase punctuated like a sentence even though it does not express a
complete thought. ➞ Timothy saw the car. And ran.
• Coordinating Conjunction: a word that when preceded by a comma or a semicolon
joins two independent and equal clauses. (and, but, so, or, for, nor, yet) ➞ Dorothy
had a beautiful rose garden, and her yard was a profusion of color every summer.
• Subordinating Conjunction: a word that makes a clause a dependent clause (after,
although, as, because, before, if, once, since, than, that, though, unless, until, when,
whenever, where, wherever, while) ➞ After the accident, mourners covered the
beaches nearest to the tragedy with roses.
• Conjunctive Adverb: a word that introduces a relationship between two
independent clauses (accordingly, besides, consequently, furthermore, hence,
however, instead, moreover, nevertheless, otherwise, then, therefore, thus) ➞ On
Tuesdays, I play racquetball; otherwise, I would go with you.

To construct a sentence:

• Always have at least one independent clause in the sentence.

• Join two independent clauses with a semicolon or a comma and conjunction.
➞ Chaucer was a narrator, and he was a pilgrim in his Canterbury Tales.
• Do not run two or more independent clauses together without punctuation; that
error is appropriately called a run-on. Wrong: Chaucer was a narrator and he was a
pilgrim in his Canterbury Tales.
• Do not separate two independent clauses with just a comma; that error is called a
comma splice. Wrong: Chaucer was a narrator, he was a pilgrim in his Canterbury
Tales.

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• Do not use a conjunctive adverb (the words accordingly, besides, consequently,
furthermore, hence, however, instead, moreover, nevertheless, otherwise, then,
therefore, thus) like a conjunction. Wrong: Chaucer was a narrator, moreover he was
a pilgrim in his Canterbury Tales.
• Use a comma after a conjunctive adverb when it follows a semicolon. (See
Conjunctive Adverbs)
• Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses. (See Subordinating
Clauses)
• Use commas around nonessential clauses. Do not use commas around essential
clauses. (See Nonessential and Essential Clauses)
• Use commas around appositives. (See Appositives)
• Use commas around parenthetical elements (a word or group of words that
interrupt a sentence’s flow). ➞ Mrs. Moses, that mean old crone, yelled at little
Paula for laughing too loud!

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